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If you want to feel like you’re on top of the world, try the weekend Sky Brunch at Top of the Tower. With an extensive menu, the restaurant will please even the pickiest eaters. But it doesn’t just serve good food: You’ll also take in panoramic views from the 50th floor of one of Philadelphia’s tallest skyscrapers. Just be sure to make a reservation.

A bucolic resort in the Virginia Piedmont, the Boar’s Head Resort is as deeply rooted in Virginia as its owner and neighbor, the University of Virginia. The land has hosted travelers since 1759, with the original Birdwood mansion dating to 1830. A short drive from downtown Charlottesville, Boar’s Head has plenty to keep a visitor occupied without even leaving the property, including an 18-hole golf course, a full-service spa, a fitness center with squash and tennis courts, and three swimming pools. The resort has 175 rooms spread over 573 acres; suites feature a seating area and balcony or patio, and some have fireplaces. Dining options range from healthy café fare (necessary fuel for all those tennis matches), to a grill overlooking the golf green, to an elegant meal in the restored Old Mill Room. The Blue Ridge mountains are renowned for their fall foliage, but visit in summer for fewer crowds (and UVA students) and the English-inspired grounds and gardens in full bloom. Be sure to ask for details on arranging a hot-air balloon ride over the countryside to appreciate all of historic Virginia.

There is perhaps no landmark of San Francisco, and perhaps even the entire state of California, more iconic than the Golden Gate Bridge. This much-photographed bridge spans the Golden Gate, the strait separating San Francisco (to the south) and Marin County (to the north). The 2.7-kilometer-long (1.7-mile-long) bridge was completed in 1937 in one of the most remarkable engineering feats of its time. Although the idea of traversing the Golden Gate by way of a bridge had been discussed for decades, the fear that fog and wind would make the project nearly impossible discouraged planners. In the end, the bridge was completed in four years at the cost of $35 million as well as the lives of 10 construction workers. A pedestrian path along the bridge offers stunning views of the bay and San Francisco as well as an up-close look at this Art Deco wonder.

A black-and-white tile courtyard pool deck lined with sun-bleached coral loungers, a chic indoor tiki bar off the intimate jewel-toned lobby and guestrooms where French claw foot tubs appear in unexpected places, The Plymouth Hotel earns serious style points. Designed by Fernando Santangelo (the man behind L.A.’s Chateau Marmont) and situated inside a historic Art Deco landmark on the corner of Collins Park, it feels like a hip hideaway reserved for those in the know—yet it’s only one block from the beach. The Plymouth is also home to an outpost of Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill where diners clamor for omakase and the famous fried chicken.

Discreetly tucked downstairs at the Hay-Adams Hotel just a little more than a stone’s-throw from the White House, this aptly named bar invites customers to muse about the deals that must have been made within these scarlet walls. The caricatures hanging around the room create a sort of satellite to the National Portrait Gallery—is that Marion Barry hanging behind the bar? Or Ruth Bader Ginsburg presiding over that table by the window? Trying to identify the faces on the walls may distract you from seeing who’s sitting beside you. If you know your D.C. players, you’ll recognize the elite of national politics tucking into shrimp cocktails and great burgers during a working lunch or sipping Sazeracs after a long day on the Senate floor.

Duck inside this warehouse on Lana Lane for a crash course on the varied Kakaako art scene. An artist collective that spans media and genres, Lana Lane Studios provides space for creative types to collaborate and learn from each other. The artists at work here span a variety of disciplines, from videography to fine art, and styles, from the contemporary to the traditionally and uniquely Hawaiian. Members can do whatever inspires them within their own spaces, and the combined effect makes the warehouse appear like a collage of Hawaiian aesthetics.

Coffee shop by day; cocktail bar and artist space by night; and, sometimes, nightclub by late night. That’s the winning recipe at Manifest, which is one of a handful of bars driving Honolulu’s cocktail culture into exciting new territory. Here, you’ll be inspired to trade that mai tai for something that tastes more Hawaii modern. With concoctions like the Manifest Mule cocktail (including Buffalo Trace bourbon, ginger beer, lime, and house-made lilikoi shrub), it’s no wonder the bar is a favorite of locals and visitors alike.

San Francisco’s only authentic Eastern European banya experience, Archimedes Banya is where to go to sweat it out in a friendly, clean and contemporary looking day spa environment. Okay, you’ll have to get used to detoxing naked with members of the opposite sex, but as long as you’re not hung up on your body, this is the place to do it. Combining ancient detoxing with heat traditions of Greek laconica, Turkish hammam, German thermen and Russian banya with modern rooms and pools, and a sun-lit deck with stunning views, it makes a great location to recover for jetlag especially. They also have a healthy restaurant and a spa offering a menu of massages, scrubs, wraps and herbal and mineral bathes.

I usually think of tea when it comes to Japan, but one visit to Ogawa changed my mind. Aside from the gorgeous latte art they are known for, this artisan coffee house from Kyoto is committed to the perfection of the beverage through sourcing, roasting and preparation. As soon as you walk in the door, the aroma is enough to give you your afternoon fix. I loved their stadium seating for a unique change of pace and they also offer interesting sandwiches and Japanese snacks in addition to beans. Try the Single Origin Trio, three small cups of single origin coffee served side by side for a bit of caffeine heaven.

There are no guarantees the Northern Lights will start dancing on the night you look skyward, but it’s so worth taking the chance. One of the great rewards for hanging out in Alaska once the dark and cold settle over the state, the Northern Lights (or if you want to be scientific about it, aurora borealis) serve up a light show that is equal parts science, magic, and art. Your best bet for catching the light show is to head away from city lights. That’s one of many reasons it’s worth making the trip to Denali National Park, open year-round. When the park’s summer crowds disappear, visitors feel as though the massive national park is an intimate personal space.

Feeding a healthy body and soul, Under the Bodhi Tree is commited to serving local, organic, and gourmet vegetarian and vegan foods from their Kamuela cafe. Beyond the menu, the restaurant supports the community with a fitness program and local fundraisers. While you’re lunching on the Fungus Humungus, a mushroom and quinoa dish, or the Better than Beef veggie burger, you can inquire about local yoga classes or find out when the next 5k comes to town. There’s no way to leave without feeling the radiating blush of healthier living.

Housed in a former 1825 Baptist church, this New American restaurant features a casual-style bistro and fine-dining area devoted to the Slow Food movement. Chef/owner Josh Kroner combines classic French techniques with the flavors of Italy, Asia, and the American Southwest using organic, free-range, locally sourced fare. Come in for the Uncle Vinny’s rigatoni dish; and for families with kids, their acclaimed organic children’s menu.

Colorado National Monument is one of those places that many of us drive by a hundred times (it’s right between Denver and Moab, Utah) before finally entering the protected area and discovering the extent of this national treasure—that is so easily accessed from Interstate-70. It consists of a cluster of high cliffs and red-rock formations stretching high above the valley below. Of course the best way to be there for the sunrise is to camp in Saddlehorn Campground, inside the park, perched high atop one of the principle rock formations (photo above from inside the campground). Or you could stay in a hotel in nearby Fruita or Grand Junction (the Grand Junction KOA has a number of options as well, including renting your own RV by the night). Wherever you stay, be sure to set your alarm clock for zero-butt-thirty and get up to one of the many lookout points in Colorado National Monument before the sun comes up. You won’t be sorry and you’ll be able to check off another iconic Colorado experience.

Hop aboard the ferry at Pier 41 in San Francisco, or from the town of Tiburon, and spend a day on the largest and most beautiful island in the bay—Angel Island State Park. You can bring your own bike, or rent one when you arrive, and ride the paved perimeter trail around the 760-acre island. There are open-air tram tours, too, with guides recalling the island’s rich history, as well as guided hikes. Of course, you are free to roam the trails on your own, one of the best of which is the hike up to the top of 788-foot Mount Livermore, where 360-degree views take in the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge. Whatever your plan, know you’ll be immersing yourself in local history in a place that has been a fishing and hunting site for Coast Miwok Indians, a haven for Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala, and a U.S. Army post starting with the Civil War. From 1910 to 1940, hundreds of thousands of immigrants were processed here, and during World War II, Japanese and German POWs were held on the island. Several buildings and other relics remain as a reminder of the island’s varied history, including the United States Immigration Station museum (open March–October).

Prior to a glowing write-up in a major travel publication, you might drive past the white building with peeling paint. But what you’d miss is White Tiger Gourmet, a 100-year old neighborhood grocery store turned casual eatery. An area native and Culinary Institute of America graduate opened White Tiger in 2007. Open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, the menu features barbecue sandwiches smoked on site, organic salads, vegetarian sandwiches and Southern style biscuits. Seating is a simple affair, either inside in one of the few tables or outside at a wooden picnic table. There aren’t waiters to speak of but your food is brought out and when you’re done you leave the basket and compost or recycle the rest.